chronicle of the conquest of granada-第6章

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NOTE。In　the　first　edition　of　this　work　the　author　recounted　a　　characteristic　adventure　of　the　stout　Juan　de　Vera　as　happening　on　　the　occasion　of　this　embassy；　a　further　consultation　of　historical　　authorities　has　induced　him　to　transfer　it　to　a　second　embassy　of　De　　Vera's；　which　the　reader　will　find　related　in　a　subsequent　chapter。



CHAPTER　III。

DOMESTIC　FEUDS　IN　THE　ALHAMBRARIVAL　SULTANAS　　　　　PREDICTIONS　CONCERNING　BOABDIL；　THE　HEIR　TO　THE　　　　　THRONEHOW　FERDINAND　MEDITATES　WAR　AGAINST　　　　　GRANADA；　AND　HOW　HE　IS　ANTICIPATED。


Though　Muley　Abul　Hassan　was　at　peace　in　his　external　relations；　a　civil　war　raged　in　his　harem；　which　it　is　proper　to　notice；　as　it　had　a　fatal　effect　upon　the　fortunes　of　the　kingdom。　　Though　cruel　by　nature；　he　was　uxorious　and　somewhat　prone　to　be　managed　by　his　wives。　　Early　in　life　he　had　married　his　kinswoman；　Ayxa　（or　Ayesha）；　daughter　of　his　great…uncle；　the　sultan　Mohammed　VII。；　surnamed　El　Hayzari；　or　the　Left…handed。　　She　was　a　woman　of　almost　masculine　spirit　and　energy；　and　of　such　immaculate　and　inaccessible　virtue　that　she　was　generally　called　La　Horra；　or　the　Chaste。　　By　her　he　had　a　son；　Abu　Abdallah；　or；　as　he　is　commonly　named　by　historians；　Boabdil。　　The　court　astrologers；　according　to　custom；　cast　the　horoscope　of　the　infant；　but　were　seized　with　fear　and　trembling　as　they　regarded　it。　　〃Allah　Akbar！　God　is　great！〃　exclaimed　they；　〃he　alone　controls　the　fate　of　empires。　　It　is　written　in　the　book　of　fate　that　this　child　will　one　day　sit　upon　the　throne；　but　that　the　downfall　of　the　kingdom　will　be　accomplished　during　his　reign。〃　　From　that　time　the　prince　had　been　regarded　with　aversion　by　his　father；　and　the　prediction　which　hung　over　him　and　the　persecutions　to　which　he　became　subjected　procured　him　the　surname　of　El　Zogoybi；　or　the　Unfortunate。　　He　grew　up；　however；　under　the　protection　of　his　valiant…hearted　mother；　who　by　the　energy　of　her　character　long　maintained　an　undisputed　sway　in　the　harem；　until；　as　her　youth　passed　away　and　her　beauty　declined；　a　formidable　rival　arose。

In　one　of　the　forays　of　the　Moorish　chivalry　into　the　Christian　territories　they　had　surprised　a　frontier　fortress　commanded　by　Sancho　Ximenes　de　Solis；　a　noble　and　valiant　cavalier；　who　fell　in　bravely　defending　it。　　Among　the　captives　was　his　daughter　Isabella；　then　almost　in　her　infancy；　who　was　brought　to　Granada；　delicately　raised；　and　educated　in　the　Moslem　faith。*　　Her　Moorish　captors　gave　her　the　name　of　Fatima；　but　as　she　grew　up　her　surpassing　beauty　gained　her　the　surname　of　Zoraya；　or　the　Morning　Star；　by　which　she　has　become　known　in　history。　　Her　charms　at　length　attracted　the　notice　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　and　she　soon　became　a　member　of　his　harem。　　Some　have　spoken　of　her　as　a　Christian　slave　whom　he　had　made　his　concubine；　but　others；　with　more　truth；　represent　her　as　one　of　his　wives；　and　ultimately　his　favorite　sultana；　and　indeed　it　was　often　the　case　that　female　captives　of　rank　and　beauty；　when　converted　to　the　faith　of　Islam；　became　united　to　the　proudest　and　loftiest　of　their　captors。

*Cronica　del　Gran　Cardinal；　cap。　71。


Zoraya　soon　acquired　complete　ascendancy　over　the　mind　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan。　　She　was　as　ambitious　as　she　was　beautiful；　and；　having　become　the　mother　of　two　sons；　looked　forward　to　the　possibility　of　one　of　them　sitting　on　the　throne　of　Granada。　　These　ambitious　views　were　encouraged；　if　not　suggested；　by　a　faction　which　gathered　round　her　inspired　by　kindred　sympathies。　　The　king's　vizier；　Abul　Cacim　Vanegas；　who　had　great　influence　over　him；　was；　like　Zoraya；　of　Christian　descent；　being　of　the　noble　house　of　Luque。　　His　father；　one　of　the　Vanegas　of　Cordova；　had　been　captured　in　infancy　and　brought　up　as　a　Moslem。*　　From　him　sprang　the　vizier；　Abul　Cacim　Vanegas；　and　his　brother；　Reduan　Vanegas；　likewise　high　in　rank　in　the　court　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　and　they　had　about　them　numerous　and　powerful　connections；　all　basking　in　court　favor。　　Though　Moslems　in　faith；　they　were　all　drawn　to　Zoraya　by　the　tie　of　foreign　and　Christian　descent；　and　sought　to　elevate　her　and　her　children　to　the　disparagement　of　Ayxa　la　Horra　and　her　son　Boabdil。　　The　latter；　on　the　other　hand；　were　supported　by　the　noble　and　once…potent　family　of　the　Abencerrages　and　by　Aben　Comixa；　alcayde　of　the　Alhambra；　and　between　these　two　factions；　headed　by　rival　sultanas；　the　harem　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan　became　the　scene　of　inveterate　jealousies　and　intrigues；　which　in　time；　as　will　be　shown；　led　to　popular　commotions　and　civil　wars。**

*Cura　de　los　Palacios；　Hist。　de　los　Reyes　Catol。；　cap。　56。

**It　is　to　be　noted　that　several　historians　have　erroneously　　represented　Zoraya　as　the　mother　of　Boabdil；　instead　of　Ayxa　la　　Horra；　and　the　Abencerrages　as　the　opponents　of　Boabdil；　instead　　of　his　strenuous　adherents。　　The　statement　in　the　text　is　according　　to　the　most　reliable　authorities。


While　these　female　feuds　were　threatening　Muley　Abul　Hassan　with　trouble　and　disaster　at　home；　his　evil　genius　prompted　him　to　an　enterprise　which　involved　him　in　tenfold　danger　from　abroad。　　The　reader　has　already　been　apprised　of　a　singular　clause　in　the　truce　existing　between　the　Christians　and　the　Moors；　permitting　hasty　dashes　into　each　other's　territories　and　assaults　of　towns　and　fortresses；　provided　they　were　carried　on　as　mere　forays　and　without　the　parade　of　regular　warfare。　　A　long　time　had　elapsed；　however；　without　any　incursion　of　the　kind　on　the　part　of　the　Moors；　and　the　Christian　towns　on　the　frontiers　had；　in　consequence；　fallen　into　a　state　of　the　most　negligent　security。　　　In　an　unlucky　moment　Muley　Abul　Hassan　was　tempted　to　one　of　these　forays　by　learning　that　the　fortress　of　Zahara；　on　the　frontier　between　Ronda　and　Medina　Sidonia；　was　but　feebly　garrisoned　and　scantily　supplied；　and　that　its　alcayde　was　careless　of　his　charge。　　This　important　　post　was　built　on　the　crest　of　a　rocky　mountain；　with　a　strong　castle　perched　above　it　upon　a　cliff；　so　high　that　it　was　said　to　be　above　the　flight　of　birds　or　drift　of　clouds。　　The　streets　and　many　of　the　houses　were　mere　excavations　wrought　out　of　the　living　rock。　　The　town　had　but　one　gate；　opening　to　the　west　and　defended　by　towers　and　bulwarks。　The　only　ascent　to　this　cragged　fortress　was　by　roads　cut　in　the　rock；　so　rugged　in　many　places　as　to　resemble　broken　stairs。　　In　a　word；　the　impregnable　security　of　Zahara　had　become　so　proverbial　throughout　Spain　that　a　woman　of　forbidding　and　inaccessible　virtue　was　called　a　Zaharena。　　But　the　strongest　fortress　and　sternest　virtue　have　weak　points；　and　require　unremitting　vigilance　to　guard　them：　let　warrior　and　dame　take　warning　from　the　fate　of　Zahara。



CHAPTER　IV。

EXPEDITION　OF　MULEY　ABUL　HASSAN　AGAINST　THE　FORTRESS　　　　　OF　ZAHARA。


In　the　year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　four　hundred　and　eighty…　one；　and　but　a　night　or　two　after　the　festival　of　the　most　blessed　Nativity；　the　inhabitants　of　Zahara　were　sunk　in　profound　sleep　the　very　sentinel　had　deserted　his　post；　and　sought　shelter　from　a　tempest　which　had　raged　for　three　nights　in　succession；　for　it　appeared　but　little　probable　that　an　enemy　would　be　abroad　during　such　an　uproar　of　the　elements。　　But　evil　spirits　work　best　during　a　storm。　　In　the　midst　of　the　night　an　uproar　rose　within　the　walls　of　Zahara　more　awful　than　the　raging　of　the　storm。　　A　fearful　alarm…cry；　〃The　Moor！　the　Moor！〃　resounded　through　the　streets；　mingled　with　the　clash　of　arms；　the　shriek　of　anguish；　and　the　shout　of　victory。　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　at　the　head　of　a　powerful　force；　had　hurried　from　Granada；　and　passed　unobserved　through　the　mountains　in　the　obscurity　of　the　tempest。　　While　the　storm　pelted　the　sentinel　from　his　post　and　bowled　round　tower　and　battlement；　the　Moors　had　planted　their　scaling…ladders　and　mounted　securely　into　both　town　and　castle。　　The　garrison　was　unsuspicious　of　danger　until　battle　and　massacre　burst　forth　within　its　very　walls。　　It　seemed　to　the　affrighted　inhabitants　as　if　the　fiends　of　the　air　had　come　upon　the　wings　of　the　wind　and　possessed　themselves　of　tower　and　turret。　The　war…cry　resounded　on　every　side；　shout　answering　shout；　above；　below；　on　the　battlements　of　the　castle；　in　the　streets　of　the　town；